Reply #93: I don't come here often. [View All]

[Behind the Aegis]

I do have this forum in my favorites, but I haunt other places. When I first started DU, I was all over the place. Now, I spend most of my time doing something else.

Anywho....you ask several interesting questions.

Have you learned anything from being here?

Oh yes! Reading is always educational, even if tripe.

Do you think that you will actually change anyone’s mind?

I don't come in this forum to do that. I will challenge thoughts and ideas, but it is up to the individual to change his/her mind.

Are you just generally looking for support for your own outlook on these matters?

Nope. The idea that anyone has the same outlook as I do would be a little scary. Whereas I see myself as spiritual, I also see the side of logic. Faith and logic are not the same, and never will be; nor should they be.

Can any of us really say anything new in a debate that has been going on for centuries, and will likely continue for centuries more? (Because really, this forum generally boils down into an theist v. atheist mentality, with “spiritual but not religious” people caught in the middle.)

Of course someone can say something new! Time is irrelevant in this debate. New ideas and discoveries are timeless. I do not share the same view you have, however, about the crux of this forum. That statement indicates your thoughts on this forum.

I participated because I thought, as someone who was raised atheist and converted to Christianity, I could offer a unique perspective on matters. But as I have delved more deeply into my faith, I find the gulf between atheists and myself growing greater, and I don’t think I have anything to offer any more that isn’t duplicated by others. I find myself reading the same old, same old, and reacting in a way that doesn’t do me nor anyone else any good.

I can't tell you what to think. However, in my opinion, you do have something to share. Thinking is not feeling. Whether others are already repeating it or others disagree, your personal experience is yours and yours alone. You may not feel your reactions don't do you any good, but how can you determine your thoughts don't do someone else 'any good?' You are you, not someone else. So, IMHO, if you are only out to have others think the way you do, well, then you will not be as successful as you wish. However, if you are trying to inform, then it is up to others to glean what they may.

I don’t think what I have to say will do anyone any good, because most of us have such strong stands on these matters already. Nor have I really learned anything, but perhaps that is my own shortcoming.

I can understand your thinking. However, I will challenge you. Are you doing this (debating here) for you or for others? For every poster, there are many others that just "lurk" and read. Have you ever thought, "maybe I am speaking for those too afraid or unsure of themselves?" If you are doing this for "you," it will be overly frustrating. If you are doing it for what you believe to be the truth and for others, well, it is worth it, no matter the personal toll.

The bottom line is that I am seriously reconsidering whether I should continue to participate in this forum. What do you all get out of it?

Consider what I have said. Try reading a post that you disagree with and waiting before responding. I know, I know....easier said than done! Trust me, there is an issue that I "fail" to do that on all the time! There are some posters that will "push your buttons," try and look past it. This is not easy, and I often fail to do so.

As for, 'what do I get out of this (forum)?' I get perspective. I may not always agree, but I try to understand. One of my favorite posters here (at DU) is "Beam me up Scottie" (BMUS). I may not always agree with her on issues or topics, but I know she is honest (and sarcastic as hell, which I respect). There are those who don't share my opinion on my "pet" topic that I have found respect for because they are respectful toward me, and see me as a complex individual and not a "thing" (Likudnik).

So, if you are questioning your being here, in R/T, is it because you feel others see you as a "thing" or because you are trying to "convert?" If it is because of the former, then, "Buck up! Continue your quest." If it is because of the latter, you might want to move on, because I don't think (my opinion) that is the purpose of this forum (conversion). (I do hope I used "former/latter" correctly. If I didn't, I am sure the grammar 'police' will nail me and I will be able to correct it.)